


Sisters of Ri - Sidestories

by Blue_Sparkle



Series: Sisters of Ri [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bath Sex, Domestic, F/M, Fluff, Genderfluid Nori, Multi, Nonbinary Dwarves, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, agender Ori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:36:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1342660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moments of Dori, Nori and Ori's life after Erebor is reclaimed</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Better Place

**Author's Note:**

> Nori and Dwalin, the night after the battle

There was finally time to rest after the battle. _Really_ rest, sleep in a bed and inside the mountain, with night outside, and no healers trying to _make_ them go. There was nothing more unpleasant than having to lie still because a healer told you to, or at least when the pain wasn’t bad enough to make it hard to get up.

Both Dwalin and Nori could barely walk on their own; with her leg throbbing in pain and what likely was a cracked bone, and him having a deep gash on his thigh. Still, as soon as they got everything stitched and bandaged, they had escaped the tents, and even managed to play the unharmed well enough to not get more than a few frowns.

Now, that everyone had entered to mountain and was preoccupied with taking everything in or looking for a place to stay, they could stop pretending. 

Dori and Glóin had found rooms within the palace that were habitable or had furniture that hadn’t been broken or hadn’t rotten away over the time, and then the company had picked where to stay. They would search for a house they would like later, be it the one that used to belong to their family, or something new and unclaimed. 

Nori had no idea how exactly they’d do it, and what would be done to restore Erebor, but that really wasn’t her field anyway. For now it was enough that they had a warm place to stay, and no new danger waiting for them.

Dwalin had found them a room that was relatively small, but still larger than any place Nori had ever lived in. There was only very basic furniture, a table and some chairs made out of beautifully carven stone, and a bedframe, that was made comfortable enough with furs and blankets. 

There was also a little chamber included, with an empty pool on the floor. Dwalin had explained it to her; that it used to be connected to a system of pipes and channels, which led hot and cold water all over the mountain, and that it was very helpful to always have water of various temperatures ready. For now, these were in need of repairs, and it wasn’t likely that anything would work without a proper restoration.

It was warm enough in the mountain though, and with the fires burning it was downright pleasant, so Nori didn’t mind only having cold water. She did have worse, and less in much colder conditions before. 

Now, sitting on a little stool and washing the dirt, sweat and blood of her body, it was the first time that Nori had some actual privacy since they had left Laketown, and she was nearly too tired to enjoy the moment of quiet. 

On the journey they had all stuck together, out of caution and at night to keep close to the fire and find some shelter from the wind. Dwalin had always been near her, ready to give her space when he thought that Nori wanted it, but always lingering nearby.

At night it was always her who’d push their bedrolls together or slip under Dwalin’s blankets to be closer. He had always left some space near him, and had watched her expectantly, as if to show that she was welcome. Nori might have told herself that she preferred sleeping by her sisters’ sides, but both of them had other places to be, too.

Dori would usually sleep wherever the ground was soft enough, she wasn’t very cuddly anyway, but Ori seemed to take the opportunity to curl up by the princes’ side. They were adorable; the children of the group, and Nori sometimes saw Kíli clinging to her in the dark, or Fíli lying so that both Ori and his brother were comfortable and protected. 

Nori gladly left them be, and even refrained from teasing them. Not that she minded ending up with Dwalin. It was easier, somehow, to just be like this. There were no expectations, and she didn’t have to be careful about him noticing anything off about her body. She was practiced at it, but it didn’t mean that it wasn’t tedious anyway.

Dwalin was warm and it was comfortable to burrow against his chest and have him hold her close. It was nice and safe and if his hands wandered lower or brushed against her chest or hip she could actually let him and not worry.

The desolation around the mountain, and the old guardhouses or the treasury they stayed in, were some of the least comfortable places to rest Nori had ever seen, but at least she had her sisters, and Dwalin for company. 

She hadn’t been sure, at first, whether this really was a good idea, and whether it might be better to just leave as soon as she could, and not come anywhere near Dwalin until she didn’t feel anything. He was too nice to be around though, and he kept saying that he wouldn’t want to leave. 

He also kissed her, when nobody could see, gently and so sweet, without any ulterior motives, just for the sake of it and as a sign of affection, and Nori couldn’t remember anyone ever doing that.

When others were around he’d be more private, but he would still hold her hand, or wrap his arm around her shoulders in a gesture that might have been mistaken for nothing more that friendly with anyone else. The company noticed, of course, and despite always disliking these kinds of things, Nori had felt strangely pleased by him being open about… whatever it was between them.

Nori wasn’t exactly sure what she’d call their relationship. It was both more and less than she had ever had, they couldn’t really be called lovers yet. Or maybe yes, she did love Dwalin, and he had said it often enough, but since Mirkwood they had barely done anything more than kissing and touching with their clothes on, and before that it had always been just Nori doing things.

They’d have to talk about that one, but not now. Now Nori was too tired from the battle, there were bruises forming all over her body already, and she knew that there would be more pain in addition to the dull throbbing in her leg soon enough.

Nori carefully scrubbed at her knees and thighs; taking care not to let the wet cloth get too close to her bandaged leg or any of the other places the healers had already taken care of.

When she was done, she opened the knot that held her damp hair up, and started brushing it and putting it into a loose braid. The comb was solid gold, with a intricate carving and gems inlaid, and usually it would have been more than Nori would dare to take, as something like that surely would be too obvious, but in Erebor it was some young Dwarf’s tool. This was what she would have in her future, too, and Nori could barely imagine how that would be like.

Nori put the comb away carefully, then went to dump the used water into the drain at the corner of the room. Only when she was standing and done with that, did Nori realize that she didn’t really have any proper sleeping clothes.

She hadn’t even bothered trying to get the armour and the tunics she had worn underneath completely clean, and she wouldn’t be able to, right now. She was too tired and hurt to do it properly, and though she had tried to wash it, she had given up soon. The tunics weren’t really suitable for sleep anyway.

There was also a pile of the clothes she had taken from Laketown in the corner, but they weren’t exactly comfortable and Nori was sick of wearing these ill-fitting things. 

Standing still was painful, so Nori eventually gave up on tying to decide what to take, so she just picked her old worn smallclothes and shift. They were maybe a bit too loose, and too thin, but they were clean and comfortable and with the fire warming up the room and the furs it wouldn’t get too cold.

Biting her teeth and supporting herself against the wall, Nori opened the door to the bedchamber and limped through, ready for the bed and perhaps an entire day of sleep any not caring for anything.

She was halfway there when she realized the obvious thing. Dwalin was also there, already lying between the blankets and pillows.

Nori froze, but it was too late to go back, and her leg trembled slightly underneath her, so she had no choice but to go on.

_It doesn’t matter_ she told herself as she slowly came closer and Dwalin turned his head at the noise of her steps. Part of her wanted to turn away from him, and not have him look at her like this out of habit, but she had known that he’d eventually see her with less than three layers of clothes, she had _wanted_ it.

She wasn’t even completely naked, and it was nothing worth worrying over. Nori had lost some weight on the journey, and there were dark bruises and bumps all over her body, parts of her face swollen from where she had gotten punched by some Orc, and torn skin here and there, with her clothes doing little to hide any of it. She wasn’t walking with her usual confidence either, there was nothing graceful about how she moved with her injured leg.

It was ridiculous, for all the worries and how self-conscious she had been when thinking about Dwalin really seeing her, it was _now_ that he did.

Strangely enough Nori didn’t feel the same fear and the need to run as before. She felt calmer, and by the time she climbed into the bed she didn’t even have to _force_ herself to keep still and not try to hide.

Dwalin wasn’t looking much better anyway. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, as it was too painful for him to move his shoulder yet, and with the thick bandages across his chest and thigh, and his injuries he nearly looked silly.

He didn’t say a word, only blinked up at her, too tired for more and already sleepy after the medicine against the pain Óin had given him. Nori climbed over the blankets and then straddled his legs, careful not to put any weight on injured areas and waited for his reaction.

He ran his hand over her thighs and side, feeling her skin and body through the material of her clothes, and Nori spread her fingers over his chest, seeing Dwalin half naked for the first time, too, or at least where she could take the time and look. She traced the lines of his body and his old faded scars, taking them in as Dwalin did the same. 

When Nori didn’t push him away, Dwalin’s hand moved further, brushed over Nori’s breasts and her neck, before he finally wrapped his hand around her shoulder, squeezing the muscles and rubbing against her collarbone with his thumb.

The way Dwalin was looking her over, with a soft smile on his face and an amused expression, was starting to make Nori a little nervous after a while.

“What is it? What’s so funny?”

Dwalin shrugged awkwardly.

“You have freckles there. Wouldn’t have thought that you had them. Looks beautiful…”

Nori looked down, staring at the freckles on her collarbones and shoulders where Dwalin’s hands were rubbing against them. She hadn’t thought much about them, nobody else really got to see them after all, due to their placements, and Nori had never wasted a thought on whether she like them or no. But Dwalin did, and that made them pleasing at least.

She shifted a little, as the way she had to sit to keep her weight off her injured leg was starting to get uncomfortable. The movement made Dwalin look up at her face, and he seemed weary.

“I’m not up for a fuck…” he started. “I could maybe… but I can’t concentrate, the stuff Óin gave me’s strong…”

Nori laughed at that.

“What about any of this made you think I’d want to fuck you now?” she teased him and leaned down for a kiss. It was brief and awkward, with her having to tilt her head to avoid pressing the swollen part of her lips against his as it hurt too much to touch, but it was nice anyway.

Nori had to pull Dwalin’s arm away from her waist to get off him, and after helping him shift a little against the pillows, she curled up next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

It was comfortable, and Nori could feel Dwalin’s skin against hers everywhere they touched, warm and soft.

Dwalin’s arm wrapped around Nori’s waist again, and her hand was on his stomach soon enough, seeking as much closeness as they could get while it hurt to move. The sound of the fireplace and the even heartbeat close to her ear, along with the feeling of stone all around them soon started lulling Nori to sleep.

“We’re in Erebor,” Dwalin said, slowly, as if he was barely awake anymore.

“Hmm.”

He sighed softly and his grip tightened.

“That’s really the only place I ever wished to be.”

He was asleep moments later, and Nori smiled, rubbing her cheek against him sleepily. She could only agree with that.


	2. In Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori is a little confused

When Dori woke up, it was dark and too early to be awake yet. She blinked, confused, and trying to decide whether she was still tired and could go back to sleep or whether she might as well get up. The bed was so soft and warm though, she could lie a few moments more, Nori and Ori likely were still asleep anyway.

Something was off though, and Dori couldn’t place what it was. She glanced up at the ceiling, wondering about the dark drapes at the side of the bed, and the carvings she could barely make out in the darkness. Had her bed always had these?

There were more pillows than usual on the bed, too, and something was off about her dress.

Dori moved her hand over the braids on her head, loose ones, for sleeping, and then to the soft material of her nightshirt, trying to recognize the source of her confusion.

She wasn’t wearing her little binding vest, she realized with a start.

She _always_ wore it, even for sleep, so that she just needed to pull the laces tighter and hide her chest easily. Why wasn’t she now?

While Dori still trying to remember why she might have done that, she heart a soft sigh and something shifted in the bed. She turned, and her eyes fell on a tuft of white hair on the pillow next to her.

Balin, she realized, moving in his sleep. _Erebor, I’m in Erebor._

Dori snorted with laughter and Balin blinked up at her tiredly.

“Is everything all right?” he slurred, and Dori nearly started giggling at how she had never dreamed of seeing a proper Lord like this, ever, and yet she did it near daily.

“Yes, go back to sleep, dear,” she said and patted his shoulder, before settling down against the pillows herself. 

How strange, that she still sometimes woke up and forgot where she was. One would have thought that it would take this long to get used to this. There was one good thing though, each time Dori woke up and remembered that she truly was in Erebor, a hero, Lady and with one like Balin by her side, she would fall asleep with the happiest feeling in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a tiny one, now ^^


	3. Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin have a free day all to themselves, and decide to try out their fancy bathtub.  
> set about a year or two after Erebor was reclaimed

They had wanted to go to the market today, to see what new goods had slowly started to be available in the rebuilt Dale and to enjoy the warm days of early summer. Erebor was thriving, and with her the surrounding realms did the same. Laketown had been rebuilt and according to the older Dwarves, Dale was already starting to _feel_ as alive and beautiful as it had before. 

And with how good the weather was, and with how beautiful the landscape was starting to become after the desolation it had been before, lots of Dwarves decided to spent more time outside or Erebor, and start to re-acquaintance themselves with the new city. Or to just enjoy the novelty of it. Which was what Dwalin and Nori had originally planed. 

Instead Nori was sitting in front of her mirror, fixing her beard and hair up into a loose knot at the back of her head. As she didn’t want to wash it just yet, it was the best way to keep it out of the water, though Nori doubted that it’d stay completely dry. Not with how she _wanted_ the rest of the day to go.

The bathroom in their house was something to make people jealous with. It was one of the few that had been completely functional when they found it. All connections to Erebor’s springs still worked and the hall was beautiful, with a corner of troughs on the walls, and a large pool in the floor. Everything had been gorgeous when they found it, with gold and semiprecious stones decorating everything, and just a layer of dirt and dust keeping it from being functional.

Even the ones in the palace hadn’t kept this well, and Nori sometimes got a smug smile when thinking of it, and how it would take some time till such things would start to get repaired yet.

And as if all of this wasn’t enough, as far as things she never thought she’d have went, she also had a house. A large one, in the better districts but in an area that was quiet enough and near good hiding places and escape routes. 

A house, along with more gold than she could ever hope to spent. A place to live that was safe and good and inside a mountain where she could walk about in a dress and feel good and not at all as if somebody would sneer at her looks. 

A place where her sisters were happy, and never lacked for food or warmth, or at least not more so than the entirety of the mountain did at the time. 

And Dwalin.

Nori would never have dreamed of having a lover like that, one who stayed for more than a few weeks, and one who praised her and her quirks and didn’t mind her habits or some of the less nice things she did, one who wanted to stay with her despite and because of everything and thought that she was beautiful and said so, unlike any other she had taken before, one who actually _loved_ her.

Nori caught herself smiling in her mirror, a little pleased quirk of her lips she hadn’t even noticed before actually seeing it, and one that wouldn’t go away.

She put her mirror and the unused ties away and stood, enjoying the soft swoosh of her long bathrobe. It was a beautiful thing, made out of a nice material and cut in a way that emphasized the curve of her waist and her chest, and it would have been the best thing she had ever owned, if all of her new clothes and dresses weren’t that way. It made her look good, and she liked dressing like that, and that was another thing Nori had never expected to want or to have.

Nori walked towards the bathroom, her soles soundless on the warm stone as she entered, her smile widening as she spotted Dwalin, who hadn’t noticed her yet.

He was soaking on the side of the pool that had wide steps leading down into the water, where they could sit leaning against the boarders and keep their heads above the water.

Dwalin only noticed her presence when Nori started undoing the knot holding her robe together and turned in time to see her sliding it of her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor before walking towards the water.

Nori leered at him as Dwalin let his eyes wander over her body while she climbed into the hot water and moved towards him, and then she was straddling him with one fluid motion, her hands coming up to rest against the back of Dwalin’s neck.

“It’s not polite to look,” she said in a soft sing song, squirming a little so that her thighs rubbed against his, but without really touching much else of him.

Dwalin scoffed, fully aware that she had been staring more than him, and not only now. His hands wrapped around her waist, fingers digging into her muscles.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

She made a mocked gasp, pressing a hand to her chest and her movements made water splash against their chests.

“How dare you speak like this? I am a proper Lady now. What of my modesty and innocence?”

“Ye never had any of that.”

Nori shrugged and pressed their bodies closer while Dwalin’s hands moved down to rest against her buttocks, kneading slightly.

“I did not miss out on a free day and a trip to Dale to have you insult me here.”

Dwalin’s lips were close enough to brush against her chin slightly, and she felt him smile and hum contently more than that she saw it.

“We can still go, if you’d rather do that.”

“No,” Nori drawled. “I think my fragile pride can take a few hits for this.”

She moved and her hips dragged against Dwalin’s crotch. He was already half hard and she hadn’t even done that much yet. His breath hitched and he pulled her down for a kiss, making Nori loose her balance and fall against him.

“Aye, lots of this.”

“Promise?”

Dwalin reached down between their bodies, pushed his fingers against Nori’s belly and dragged them down in a way that had her arch up against him. 

“As much as you can take.”

He leaned closer to nuzzle his face against her neck, breathed in and kissed the sensitive skin of Nori’s throat until she shuddered against him. Dwalin focused on all he knew she liked and would have her loose her composure sooner, licking and biting along her neck and collarbone, all where he could reach, one hand firm on her thigh and butt, the other pressing against her belly, hard enough to not tickle her.

Nori whined a little at the sensations, tried to move so that Dwalin’s bites had to become harder or that his hand would finally have to wander lower or that he’d hold her hard enough to bruise, but she _couldn’t_ arch up into each of his touches at the same time, and he knew that, the bastard, always alternating between where most of his attention went, to keep Nori on edge. 

None of it was enough, it was all just teasing her and Nori cursed softly under her breath. It was light touches and bites that were really more of a scraping of teeth against skin that was difficult to endure, not something she had ever had much before, and not something she seemed to really get used to either.

Her hands moved over his body, digging into his skin and tugging at his hair, nearly hard enough to pull his head away from her. Each time Dwalin _nearly_ lowered his hand or _briefly_ bit down on her neck, Nori would snarl quietly and scratch her fingers over his shoulders and scalp, nails digging in just enough to make clear that she _could_ leave scratches and marks on him, for everyone to see.

Dwalin growled at that, the vibrations of his chest carrying right through Nori’s body and making her shiver in pleasure. It was good and she knew Dwalin might go on for hours and never do enough to make her come, just because he could, but right now she wasn’t in the mood for letting him.

As her tugging got more insistent Dwalin was forced to lean back again, not without one last sharp bite against her collarbone, though.

“What?” he rumbled and Nori tried to shift in his hold to make him touch _more_ but Dwalin was stubbornly keeping his fingers still.

“That’s quite enough of this, don’t you think? I want your fingers _inside_ , and not just this awkward petting.”

“Can’t keep up, do you?”

Nori was about to start teasing him about how it wasn’t _her_ endurance they’d have to be concerned about, but then his fingers _finally_ searched out her clit and rubbed against her in just the way she liked best and she decided that it was better to just enjoy the moment.

She gasped and moaned, didn’t bother to restrain any of her reactions. Dwalin liked watching her, always with his eyes on her intensely when he wasn’t to distracted by what Nori was doing herself, and he got off on it.

Nori writhed in his hold, trying to move and grind down against his hand, but Dwalin was still holding her waist and his touches were firm but not hard or fast enough to do much more than tease her, and Nori cursed softly at him.

His eyes were worshipful as he watched her, looking over her face and at her body, in a look that switched from desire to such a pleased affection that Nori would have taken the time to tease him for being sappy, if she knew how to form words other than curses and soft encouragements right now.

Nori’s tights tensed as she tried to get more friction and Dwalin was merciful, at least, the heel of his hand working against her as his fingers teased and worked their way inside her. It was good, Dwalin’s hands were calloused and big and rough but so gentle when needed, and Nori could come just from a little of what Dwalin knew to do with her.

Not what she wanted right now, though, now she wanted more and faster, wanted to feel all of Dwalin against her, which wouldn’t work the way they were sitting and with him trying to hold her and go on with his ministrations.

She reached down to wrap her fingers around Dwalin’s cock, stroking until he was fully hard. They leaned their foreheads together, and soon enough Dwalin’s fingers faltered and he started to arch up into her touch hard enough that the water was splashing all around them. Nori listened to his soft moans, doing her best to stroke him just as he liked, despite the inconvenient position. 

“Nori-“ Dwalin choked out, and it was nearly a whine. He wouldn’t last that much longer with her hands on him, and Nori sat up a little, angled her hips and moved closer, while Dwalin’s hands shifted to rest at her waist and help her keep her balance.

Nori gave Dwalin’s cock one last light stroke before guiding him to her sex and seating herself on him. Dwalin made a strangled sound as he tried to keep still, and Nori’s breath hitched as she adjusted to the feeling of him filling her out so completely. 

She bounced a little on her heels, dug her fingers into Dwalin’s shoulders and rubbed her body against his chest as much as she could.

“Yes, yes, just so,” she heard herself purring against Dwalin’s ear. “Now, I think- ‘m ready, you can move.”

Dwalin obeyed and thrust his hips up, once, twice, trying to find a good angle and leverage on the stone steps. Nori curled her arms around his neck and leaned against him, moving her hips down in time with his slow thrusts, and each of them lifting her up a little, with enough force to make her braids bounce.

This, just this was something Nori would never get enough of, wouldn’t get used to having whenever she wanted. She had always enjoyed being fucked, this way, too, but the opportunities to do so were rare, and _good_ fucks even rarer. 

She had always had to hide, or didn’t feel like the one she was with was someone she’d trust with this, to do what she wanted and to wait to match her pace. And Dwalin was good, and loving and rough like she wanted him to be.

Nori could feel his muscles jump under her hands as he picked up his pace, and his hands griped at her hips, and rested between her shoulder blades to keep her close and then Dwalin had her breath coming out in sharp cries as he cursed and snarled against her neck.

She urged him on, pressed kisses against his ear and felt her entire body heat up with each spike of pleasure Dwalin’s hands and him fucking into her gave her. The water was just a touch cooler than too hot and they were sliding over the stones, Dwalin’s curses about it growing angrier until he just grabbed Nori’s hips, carried her towards the other end of the pool and slammed her against the wall.

Nori laughed and wrapped her legs around him for better support, as she was ponded against the warm stone. The water only came up to Dwalin’s waist here, when he was standing and it had the pleasant bonus of keeping Nori’s hair safe and her body from overheating. The air was warm enough to keep it from getting too cold anyway.

Dwalin panted against her neck, breath coming out in hot puffs as he fought against his feet slipping on the wet stone and Nori’s back sliding against the damp walls, making it hard to keep up his harsh pace.

They didn’t last long, Nori’s moans grew louder and more desperate, then her entire body tensed up until her back was pushing away from the wall and formed a perfect arch, her fingers scraped against Dwalin’s shoulders. She came with a choked scream, and then let herself sink against him. Dwalin didn’t take much longer, and while Nori was still shaking from her orgasm she heard him grunt and spent inside her, before his legs gave out and they both slid down into the water.

Nori felt wonderfully boneless and relaxed and she hummed slightly while Dwalin’s chest heaved and he just rested against her and the wall as he tried to catch his breath. Nori suspected that he was only able to still hold her up due to the weightlessness of being in the water.

She smiled and brushed her fingers through Dwalin’s hair, petting his head and marvelling at the softness of it and the solid body pressed against hers. It was hers to touch when she pleased, and this Dwarf was _hers_ and even now, when she could still feel were Dwalin had pressed his hands against her and fucked her in their own house, Nori sometimes didn’t think she could quite believe it.

Truly, she had caught herself the best she could have ever had hoped for.

“Are you all right?” she asked, tone teasing but her hands cupped Dwalin’s cheeks and she run her fingers over his skin soothingly. 

Dwalin smiled and leaned in for a kiss. It was hardly more than a lazy slide of lips and tongues against one another’s as they held on to each other, Dwalin relaxing more and Nori just enjoying the warmth all against her. 

“Not the most comfortable place to fuck in,” Dwalin said, “or at least not like this.”

“Now we know and won’t do it too often,” Nori allowed and rubbed her nose against Dwalin’s affectionately.

“Sometimes… not now though.”

“’s plenty of other rooms left for today.”

Dwalin laughed at that.

“Aye, that’s true.”

He let go of Nori, ignoring her complaints about wanting to cuddle some more. He waded across the pool to reach out and retrieve their discarded bathrobes, then he returned and curled his arms under Nori’s legs and shoulders to lift her out of the water.

It took him some awkward fumbling and Nori clinging to his shoulders to prevent herself from falling, but then he managed to wrap her up in the robes and hold her in a way that kept her warm and comfortable in her cocoon.

It was ridiculous and she stifled a laugh, but then Dwalin carried her across the room and out and just leaning against him was rather nice after all. Especially since she could just relax and enjoy the last of their previous round without needing to walk again.

“Shall we start with the bedroom?” he asked as he reached the door.

“Mmmm, as so often…” Nori mused and tiled her head up to kiss along Dwalin’s jaw. “Yes, I’d like our soft nice bed now. I want you to make me scream into the pillows, though, properly.”

She knew that he was leering down at her at that, and Nori closed her eyes as she felt his strides getting longer and quicker. Really, she had been a _very_ lucky Dam, to end up where she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was the smut. hm. Is it bad that right now half my plot bunnies are smutty ones?  
> I am tired now, but I do think there'll be another tomorrow


	4. Day Off II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> set about two or three hours after the last chapter

Ori wasn’t entirely sure how she kept letting her princes talk her into all sorts of silly and stupid adventures over and over again, but somehow she still tagged along most of the time. Not that this could be seen as a real adventure, not after what they went through for nearly an entire year and all that they had faced.

This didn’t mean that breaking into her sister’s house for the sole purpose of visiting the bathroom was any less silly or stupid.

“Oh come on!”, Kíli had said as he took Ori’s hand in both of his and bounced a little on his heels. “You have _seen_ how nice it is, now imagine how good it would be to get to use it!”

“I really don’t think so… We have good ones everywhere else…”

“Not as nice as theirs! And not as private.”

It was true, the palace had its own share of beautiful bathhouses and there were halls more gorgeous than any else, with nearly every guest room having its own, but unfortunately most of the water supply channels hadn’t been cleaned and repaired yet, which meant that the really good ones didn’t work properly yer. Apart from some of the larger ones, but these weren’t _private_ as Kíli and Fíli had told her over and over, and it wasn’t much different that bathing in the river with an entire company.

When Ori asked them what the problem with that was, they hadn’t complained about it on the journey after all, and this was better, warmer and with no chilling wind on wet skin, they had waved her off. 

You could splash about or soak or have battles in a river or somebody’s house. But in the palace there was always somebody else to complain about whatever it was they did. And again, everyone could visit it and sometimes you just didn’t want to have your uncle or mother walking about and sitting way too close to do anything fun without being scolded. 

“Does it have to be Nori’s? Why can’t we just go and visit Dale? I’d like that better, I think, it’s less stupid and we might get caught,” Ori had muttered, even as she followed both of them, trying to go a little slower than she usually would, despite their excitement.

“Yes, of course it has to be theirs, it’s the best, I’ve _seen_ it!”

Ori and Dori had been shown the house when it hadn’t been quite cleaned up yet, and Ori remembered loving the halls, even if the pool still had been empty of water and the dust managed to cover most of the beautiful stone. 

Kíli and Fíli must have taken a look at some other day though, at one of their shared meals when Dwalin and Nori had invited them, and they must have slipped away at one point to look around.

“Besides,” Fíli had explained “I know that Nori won’t be at home now, she’ll be in Dale and we can flood the place without her having to know anything.”

 _Nori knows everything about everyone_ , Ori had thought, but she figured that this would be the princes’ problem and not hers if it ever came to Nori finding out and being less than pleased.

And really, Ori could understand how the princes might want to just splash about somewhere where they really wouldn’t be disturbed. It’d be nice to soak and be able to do what they wanted, and talk freely about anything without anyone overhearing.

Sneaking into the house was an easy thing, seeing as Ori had brought the keys to it. Nori wasn’t living with her or Dori and Balin, but the sisters did have keys and permission to enter each other’s houses (though Ori suspected that Dwalin had it, Nori both wouldn’t have bothered with a lack of permission and wouldn’t need a key anyway).

It was quiet but Fíli and Kíli went ahead to light up lamps and get to the pool sooner. Ori watched them congratulating each other for their idea and then the brothers started dropping their clothes and weapons to get into the water as soon as possible.

Ori watched them, staying near the door indecisive. Fíli sat down; leaning against the pool’s boarders and Kíli jumped in with a splash, and then let out a long and pleased sigh at the heat of the water. It looked like a nice thing to do, just to sit there, and soak and talk, and then deal with a splash fight from how she knew them. And then maybe some kissing and cuddling, as there never had been an opportunity for that, without having the danger of anyone entering being a distraction. 

This was her sister’s house, though, and Ori did feel a little guilty for entering without asking. 

Instead of joining the brothers, Ori carefully came closer, well away from the puddles. She briefly considered picking up their discarded clothes, and folding them neatly, but having them wrinkled and soaked was their own problem really.

Ori just sat down on one of the stools, and watched her princes splash about and exploring the pool’s floor and the steps and edges. She did try not to look _too_ much, even if there really was nothing she hadn’t seen before. It made her ears flush red anyway, and they’d tease her if they noticed.

“Ori, don’t you want to join us?” 

They turned to see that she hadn’t even started to undress, and Ori shrugged slightly.

Kíli looked genuinely upset. 

“Are you bored here? You should have said, we could do something else.”

“No, no, I’m fine here, I won’t get bored, just don’t feel like taking a bath, that’s all.”

She didn’t even need one, or lacked the opportunity to have a good one; the bathtub in her own house wasn’t anything fancy but she loved the comfort of that anyway. Despite, this was _Nori’s_ and it made Ori increasingly nervous to think about just using her sister’s bathroom. Even if she wouldn’t mind. Even if she knew and wasn’t there, even if she and Dori _were_ here as well.

It was very warm in the room, especially after Kíli found the lever that made even more hot water poor into the pool. Ori was wearing a very light tunic, and still it was nearly getting uncomfortable. She considered just taking it off, but sitting around in a state of undress without actually joining Fíli and Kíli in the water seemed silly. 

“This was the best idea we ever had,” Kíli sighed after a while and just leaned against the pool’s edge to enjoy the heat. Fíli made an affirmative hum and joined him. “You really should get in with us, Ori, it’s pure bliss.”

“Thanks, but another time.”

Kíli sighed again, this time followed by a laugh. 

“Why didn’t we do this before?” he asked. “Seems unfair that Nori and Dwalin have this giant room just for themselves. I mean, it’s not like they’d get that much use out of it. Seems like such a waste.”

They muttered about it quietly, and Ori rolled her eyes and let her gaze wander over the pretty patterns on the stonewalls. Then her eyes fell on the doorway, and through the steam filling the room she could see a giant shape standing there silently.

The sight nearly made Ori jump from where she was sitting, but then she saw that it was Dwalin, staring at the pool, where Fíli and Kíli were still complaining about the injustice of not having such a large bath with running water for themselves, with an entirely unimpressed expression. She might have said something to warn her princes, but Dwalin didn’t look angry, really, or not more than was his default expression, so Ori kept her mouth shut and watched what he would do.

Dwalin was only wearing a bathrobe, from the looks of it, held together by a loose belt as if he had just put it on before walking down to check on where the noise came from. His eyes briefly skimmed over Ori, but then he walked over to where the princes where sitting. 

They were turned away from him, and despite his size, Dwalin moved soundlessly and neither heard a thing. Ori sucked in her lower lip, trying not to laugh or even seem like she was holding back a smile. She didn’t want to spoil this, and luckily Fíli and Kíli did not notice anything off.

When Dwalin was standing right behind them, he leaned down, put his hands on both the princes’ shoulders firmly and growled with a deadpan face:

“We just fucked in that pool.”

The resulting startled screams were enough to make Ori loose her self-control and she started laughing so hard that she fell over from how it shook her.

Fíli and Kíli cursed and yelped and tried to scramble up and away from Dwalin and out of the water. Dwalin didn’t say anything more, or made a move to grab them, just stood still, arms crossed over his chest and glared as they tried to be as quick as possible about getting out and picking up their clothes.

Nori’s light laugh came from the door, and when Ori turned her sister was leaning against the door casually. She was wearing a robe too, though hers was far more loosely tied than Dwalin’s, leaving much of her chest and the top of her breasts exposed, as well as the obvious bite marks on her pale skin.

Ori’s entire face flushed in embarrassment, even while she was still giggling at the situation. She supposed that Dwalin wasn’t that much better than Nori, and though she really tried not to stare, there _were_ thin red lines on his skin, from scratches as it seemed. Dwalin wasn’t flaunting it, just being intimidating as he was, while Nori’s stance was too relaxed for that.

Fíli and Kíli seemed to only get more and more nervous from it all, muttering apologies and curses as they struggled to pull on their clothes over dripping wet skin. Neither Nori nor Dwalin said anything but there was amusement in Nori’s eyes, at the way both brothers tried so hard not to look in her direction that it was painfully obvious, especially as they had to walk past her to get out.

“Don’t let me catch ye in here again,” Dwalin growled as soon as they had hurried out, following them with a glare to see that they were really running as quick as they could.

Nori remained where she was, grinning at Ori when she walked closer.

“Your sweethearts aren’t the brightest now, dear sister, but I do see how they make up for that,” she said with a leer and Ori’s cheeks burned.

“Nori!”

“What, it’s true.”

She shook her head with a laugh, and ruffled Ori’s hair affectionately. 

“Do tell me if you want to visit, the next time, if you’d arrive just a few hours earlier your tender eyes would have been scarred for life and I do not want to have Dori nagging because of it.”

Ori’s eyes flickered over Nori’s exposed skin and her smug smile and she decided not to go into that now, or ever really. What her sister and Dwalin were up to was not something she wanted to think of in any detail.

“I have to go now,” she muttered, and Nori nodded.

“Do that, go visit Dale or some nice spot. And please do make sure that your idiots are as mortified as possible. That’ll be my sole punishment for entering my house without permission, even if that _is_ a grievous crime.”

Ori didn’t comment on it, but she nodded. It _would_ be funny to have something to tease her princes with.

She said her goodbye, and walked out of the house as soon as possible, not even trying to find Dwalin and say bye in person. It didn’t look like she would want to be anywhere near her sister’s house now.

At least one thing was good about this; the looks on Fíli and Kíli’s faces were something Ori would remember and cherish to the day she died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist this joke, that's why I wrote these last two as I did ;u;


	5. Market

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori visits the market and questions things

Erebor was the most interesting and continuously nice place Ori had known in all her life.  
It was now more than a year since the day it had been officially reclaimed and the day a still wounded Thorin had been crowned. Dwarves had returned, the main living caverns had been deemed safe and all that had been damaged by Smaug or through years of neglect was slowly and steadily being rebuilt.  
It wasn’t anywhere near as glorious as it once had been, Dori had told her, but still Ori was amazed by anything new.  
Now, with spring outside and the trade to surrounding realms running again, the markets were her favourite place to be.  
The caverns holding them were glorious on their own, with carefully carved pillars on the sides, any reflected light both making it seem as if they were out in the sun, and reflecting off the ceiling in a way that filled the markets with a soft golden glow.  
And the goods!  
There were beautiful shawls and rolls of textiles, in the softest materials Ori had ever seen, with knotwork and patterns they hadn’t used in the Blue Mountains and among the weavers Ori had grown up with.  
There were decorations and fine tools being made in the smaller smithies near the market, and tinkers setting out their stalls and carpenters offering their services to families who hadn’t brought much with them as they travelled to Erebor.  
A glassblower captured Ori’s attention for the longest time. She stood and watched the decorations or samples of colours he could make, and she was endlessly fascinated by the inkwells, which had containers for several inks and would stain the glass in the prettiest ways.

“That’s nothing!” the glassblower told her with a laugh. “Just wait for the day Erebor is properly populated and the real marvels will start getting to the markets.”

Ori could not wait to see _that_ , if it could get any better.

Even with only a fraction of Erebor’s life returned to the mountain, Ori was in love with the kingdom. She wanted to spend any free moment exploring and watching how everything developed, and more than once she had forgotten other things she was supposed to do instead.

Today though, she could do what she wanted, as long as she was back at home in time for the dinner Dori wanted to prepare for their entire company. 

As Ori moved through the market and looked around, she noticed the stalls that hadn’t been there last time. Some were only being set up and decorated, others had families of Dwarves setting out their merchandise already. 

One little stall in front of a corner shop made Ori pause. There were boxes of fragrant herbs, teas and candles in rows, all colourful and some carved into shapes. She stopped to take a better look, enjoying the smells and wondering how such a thing would taste like. It took a few moments to notice the vendor smiling at her.

“S-Sorry I didn’t mean to intrude,” she managed to stammer but the vednor just laughed.

“Oh, don’t worry lad, there’s no harm in looking. In fact, I’d say looking is what makes the business work in the first place!”

Ori smiled and turned back to look at the displays.

“You are new here, aren’t you? I haven’t seen any of these the last time I came to the market.”

“Just arrived last week. Do you like teas lad?”

“No, but my sister loves them.”

The vendor gestured at the still sealed boxes standing near the door to the shop. 

“You could tell her of our shop, if you wish. We’re the first to properly sell tea so far. Or you could bring her a sample of any of these.”

“I would love to, if I’m allowed to! But I know anything about what she might like.”

She turned and called to someone inside. 

“Nhim, do get some of the sample bags for the lad over here.”

Ori reached for her purse, to get out some coins, but the vendor waved her off.

“Samples are on the house. I see it as an investment, lad.”

Before Ori could thank her, a hand landed on her shoulder, and Kíli was at her side, glaring at the Dwarrowdam.

“Ori is no _lad_ ”, he said, voice hard. 

The vendor’s eyes widened as she recognized Kíli, and then she glanced back at Ori.

“Forgive me my lady,” she stammered, “I meant no insult.”

Ori’s face flushed and she ran her hand through her hair, catching at the braids, which were too short for Dori’s pretty styles. She hadn’t even noticed that the Dwarrowdam hadn’t addressed her as a lady, she hadn’t minded. 

“I didn’t mind!” she muttered. 

Kíli was still glaring at the Dam, and tugged at Ori’s hand. She resisted and then a young girl appeared through the door, holding a small satchel with boxes of tea samples.

The vendor handed it to Ori, bowing and apologizing again, and Ori wanted to disappear. She thanked her and held the satchel close to her chest as Kíli pulled her away.

“You don’t have to endure this!” Kíli told her, frowning in worry as he walked her towards the city. “You don’t have to hide, you’re in Erebor now, a real Lady.”

“I don’t mind,” Ori muttered again and pulled her scarf closer up to her face. Kíli noticed the movement.

“And you don’t have to _hide_ with these clothes,” he added, gesturing at her comfortable tunic and coat. “If you don’t want to you don’t have to wear loose and concealing clothes anymore. Maybe people would make the mistake less often then.”

He sounded genuinely upset on her behalf, and Ori only hid her face further into her scarves. She wore what she liked, and unless there was something special happening she didn’t bother getting prettier and formfitting clothes. She’d wear them if Dori sewed her something beautiful, but at the moment her oldest sister was preoccupied in making Nori proper dresses and a suitable wardrobe for the court.

“I wear this because I love my knitted things,” Ori stated. “And my sister made them for me, so it’s not like I’m actively hiding!”

Kíli looked a little relieved at that.

“All right. But promise me to tell us if anyone’s troubling you. Erebor is a new start for all of us, and should be safe and good for everyone.”

Ori promised, though she knew there was nothing wrong at all.

She didn’t mind being mistaken for a boy. In fact, she had even missed it a little. She liked that she didn’t _need_ to hide and always say that she was a boy, and she _did_ like it when people called her lass like they hadn’t for decades. Now that she didn’t have to worry about it so much, Ori felt like she liked being a lad anyway. Sometimes. 

Ori wasn’t sure what to make of that. Kíli would worry if she told him about it, Fíli would probably frown and say that he had no idea either, and Dori… Dori would worry and blame herself about Ori having to worry in the first place. She always did that when her sisters had issues of any sort.

So she just wrapped her hand around Kíli’s and let him lead her through the streets as she contemplated who might tell her what, or whether she shouldn’t just sit down and figure it out herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am growing increasingly fond of the agender Ori headcanon, so I wanted to try and include it here as well.   
> Next chapter will also deal with that


	6. Not Unusual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part two of yesterday's story

Balin was used to working alone and to working over trade negotiations or the necessary documents to run a kingdom, even if the situation at hand was an exceptional one. If he was quite honest, he sometimes wasn’t sure whether he would even be good at helping with running a kingdom that was at peace and in a stable situation. Whether such a thing even existed was another question entirely.

There were negotiations with the people of Esgaroth and Dale, with the Mirkwood as well, and correspondence with Ered Luin and the Iron Hills to oversee. Dwarves were returning to the Lonely Mountain and other Dwarf clans were readying themselves to adjust the once lost trade and friendship. Masons would travel to Erebor, and families who had once lived here as well as those who wished to make a new start, so the restorations would only go quicker with more workers to help.

No Man alive remembered the old days, but there was also the old symbiosis between Dale and Erebor to put into motion, and Balin couldn’t wait to see it restored to former glory. It wouldn’t take long until then, Dale was being rebuilt at an incredible speed and already the Mountain was recovering from the desolation.

The weather was beautiful nearly every day, and when one walked on the battlements around the mountain one had a wonderful look on the landscape around them, and on the live slowly flowing back into the Lonely Mountain. When turning south one also had a view on the nearly restored city of Dale, and it reminded Balin of how it once had been there.

He’d love to go on that walk now, both for the view and to just move around a bit, but alas, treaties did not write themselves.

It wasn’t a real secret that Balin _loved_ the usually dull work, sometimes, and when one had company copying the same thing over was nearly pleasant. Even if one did nothing but work in silence, interrupted only by short breaks to fetch more tea or biscuits. 

He had been pleased when Ori first offered to help him, and he knew that she was a dedicated and very thorough scribe, and one couldn’t have asked for a better helper in these matters.

It was also nice to know that his Dori’s family liked him, accepted him even. Balin would have regretted nothing more than having Dori’s sisters disapprove of him. The brief worry he had about that was unfounded though, both Nori and Ori respected him, liked him and were loyal to him like to anyone in the company, and they seemed to be pleased about him and their oldest sister as well. 

Nori respected him but didn’t have as much common interests to really be around Balin a lot, but he and Ori had developed a fast friendship. 

He liked the lass, as much as he would have loved his own sister, if he had had one. 

Balin even sometimes prided himself in knowing Ori, and her quirks and thoughts. So that day it didn’t take him long to notice that she wasn’t entirely focused on what she was doing, staring at the corner of the parchments and fiddling with her quills.

At first Balin assumed that she was simply bored, and he couldn’t blame her for that. She was younger than him, less patience, and had other things that were more fun that letters to work with, and she always liked to explore Erebor nowadays. A little later on he did notice that she was frowning while she wasn’t writing, and sucking at her bottom lip slightly, like she only did when she was thinking hard or worrying.

He put his quill down then, and leaned back in his chair with a pleased hum.

“I think we have worked enough to deserve a break, don’t you think?” he said, and Ori nearly startled at that, looked blankly at him for a few seconds then blinked and nodded.

“Of course!” she put her quill away, and curled her fingers into her sleeves instead, before sagging back in the chair. 

She still looked as if she was pondering something but she also seemed to try to behave as she usually did. Balin leaned his head to the side and folded his hands in his lap.

“Is there something troubling you, Ori?”

Ori glanced at her hands, fiddling with the hem of her tunic. Then she nodded.

“Yes… I don’t really know what to do or who to speak to about this.”

She glanced up at Balin, then back at her hands. 

Perhaps she had suggested to help Balin today _because_ of what was troubling her, not despite of it. 

Balin gave her an encouraging smile and wondered what might cause Ori problems to go to him, and not to her sisters or the princes first.

“I will do my best to help you.”

Ori gave him a short nod, but didn’t speak. She was still frowning, so either she was gathering her courage, or thinking of ways to put her problem into words. Finally she breathed out and braced herself.

“It’s about me… being a girl,” she started, and Balin nodded slightly, to show that he was listening.

“I am not sure whether that’s quite… right? It feels strange to me…”

Balin had heard Dori talk about that before, about how Nori had taken time to adjust, how she had always been incredibly self-conscious about certain things and wasn’t used to thinking that none of it was actually a problem. 

Perhaps Ori’s worry was similar, perhaps he could reassure her.

“I was on the market a few days ago,” Ori went on, “and some people calld me ‘lad’. I didn’t even realize at first, and now that I think of it. I don’t mind. I don’t mind it at all when people call me that.”

She looked at Balin, brow furrowed, and Balin hummed, watched her and waited for her to name the actual problem. She _had_ spent her life disguising herself, of course she was used to this. 

“I not only don’t mind, I _like_ it when people call me a boy, I think I even missed it. But I also like being able to say that I’m a girl, and wear more ribbons and light tunics in the summer and I like how it feels like. I don’t _feel_ like I even prefer anything, and sometimes I really couldn’t care less?”

Now Ori lowered her gaze again, looking nearly ashamed.

“People seem to be fairly even in guessing what I am, and I like it, I think. But what really does bother me is when Kíli wanted to help me, when he came to defend me. He keeps saying that I’m allowed to be comfortable and that I don’t need to hide and that people have to respect me, and he means well, but I nearly got _angry_ with him and he just wanted to _help_! I can’t tell him to stop, he might be right after all…”

Balin waited a little after that, but once she was done with her little outburst Ori didn’t say another word.

“Have you told them about what you feel,” he asked, “or have you spoken to Dori?”

“No,” Ori said meekly.

“I was worried… Dori would just think that she did something wrong, she always does when Nori and me are sad or can’t deal with something. She’ll think that it’s because she made me pretend for so long. I don’t want her to worry about such a silly thing.”

“It is not silly if it troubles you.”

Ori shook her head.

“And Kíli is just trying to be helpful, and from what little Fíli noticed I think he’ll be the same. I can’t explain to them why they should leave me be, if I don’t understand on my own!”

“What is it that you don’t understand? Feeling that both being a girl and a boy suits you equally? Do you feel comfortable like that?”

Ori shrugged.

“I am, I’m fine and it’s really just that I don’t know how to explain this. Everyone will worry! It’s not supposed to feel like that, right? I never heard about anyone feeling like I do, so indifferent. Maybe… maybe I’m just not normal?”

She looked at Balin with pleading eyes, with worry and a little hope in her face.

Balin looked at her, then at the drying ink on his parchments.

“My father…” he started, “had a sibling. You know that Glóin and Óin are my cousins? Well, it’s their parent I’m talking of.” 

Ori blinked, but sat up straighter, listening attentively as she always did when Balin told her stories.

“You could say that my… aunt… wasn’t always known as my aunt. Or my uncle at that. Gróin was a rather fierce warrior, and very stubborn and peculiar at times. Which probably doesn’t interest you, but you should know that what you described really isn’t unfamiliar to me.”

Ori’s eyes widened a little and Balin gave her a soft smile.

“See, while Gróin wasn’t _exactly_ like you described, this sometimes was very similar. You say you are nearly indifferent about being a boy or a girl? Well, Gróin wasn’t indifferent, but there were days when she was my aunt, and she’d wear dresses to court, on other days he wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Gróin _did_ care, but their preferences weren’t fixed, or steady like yours, they changed, sometimes after weeks, sometimes only after months. And let me tell you, Gróin was in no way wrong or not normal. You aren’t alone in not feeling like you’re _supposed_ to. There _is_ nothing you’re supposed to feel like, only what you feel is right for you.”

Ori took a moment to consider that, eyes widening more. She fumbled with her tunic, looked at her hands, and Balin waited for her to say anything else. 

“So if I feel like I’m not really a boy or a girl but also… a little bit like both… but not either… that… that’s actually normal?”

She said it so quietly that Balin barely heard it.

“It is, yes,” Balin replied, a little worried about how she’d react. “You can figure out how exactly it is in your own time, in how much you are like Gróin, or whether you’re more like anyone else. I can help you find somebody who knows more than me.” 

When Ori finally looked up she just looked relieved and happy.

“Then everything is fine!” she said, smiling. Then she winced a little. “I would still need to talk to Kíli and Dori as well… Would they understand? I don’t want there to be any more worrying!”

Balin reached over and gently squeezed Ori’s hand.

“You should give your sister more credit. She will understand you, I promise. If you wish, I will go with you to talk to her, and help you explain? And then we decide how to ask Kíli and Fíli to be less protective in that matter. I am sure that they will support you as soon as they understand what you want.”

“You would! I think I’d like that!”

Ori looked completely relaxed then, smiling her sincere little smile.

Balin patted her hand one last time and edged back to the table.

“Well then, work could wait until all problems were cleared, but now let us return to it,” he winked, and Ori blushed with a sheepish grin.

She quickly picked her quill back up and set to work, making Balin chuckle. He pulled his own work closer as well, and afterwards Ori was focused again, and softly smiling while she wrote.


	7. Time to Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin relaxing some time after settling in Erebor

The snow had been falling in heavy flakes all day long, as far as Nori knew, covering the mountain and the land around in a beautiful white blanket. That included the balconies and parapets as well, as she’d found out much to her annoyance. It already was difficult enough to try and find her balance with the crutch somebody had managed to cobble together for her, but having to fight her way through the snow seemed near impossible without help or somebody trying to clear the path beforehand.

Dori hadn’t been pleased about Nori constantly wandering the outside of the mountain when she had the time for it, given how she considered any kind of hard work with a broken bone to be the height of stupid behaviour. Nori had given up arguing how taking a walk on her own wasn’t ‘hard work’ after all, and had just started not telling Dori at all.

It was just important to Nori to see the world outside sometimes. She wanted to see the battlefield, and Dale in the distance. Wanted to know if all the walkways on the outside were actually ready for use, and what that might do for them. She also wanted to see the ways one might climb down from them, where on the unworked rock one could move and scale the Lonely Mountain or leave it. She wouldn’t be able to do it with her injuries, and seeing how the snowfall easily could end up in a snowstorm it wasn’t worth the risk. There wasn’t anything to run from anyway, and Nori couldn’t think of any better place still.

Erebor wasn’t glowing in its former splendour according to the older Dwarves (and how could it, after over a century of neglect and only a few days of being occupied). Even so, Nori could feel her head spin sometimes, when she took it all in, despite the state everything was in.

Returning from her daily round over the parapets had been difficult, as always. A cane that only barely suited her along with not knowing how to use it properly yet only hindered any attempts to sneak. Her heavy furs and the snow dampening her hair would tip everyone off as to where Nori had been, so Nori took great care in trying to avoid any member of the company or healer on her way to her rooms.

Actually reaching those rooms had been nice though. Unlike Nori, Dwalin’s own damage from the battle had left him more tired, less restless or willing to wander Erebor for long. He had however, not slept all afternoon without doing anything at all.

It was still strange to be greeted with a kiss and an embrace despite the ice water dripping off her furs, and strange to have somebody help her out of her outer layers so gently.

“I’ve found a tub,” Dwalin had told Nori as soon as she got rid of her outside wear.

The actual watersystem of Erebor had not been repaired, though some of the Iron Hills soldiers had started looking for where debris might be blocking them. There were some springs that had been cleaned of all that blocked the water from streaming out, and now nearly every temporarily habituated home had cool water to use. The bathhouses and the smaller pools and baths inside the houses still weren’t working right, but t didn’t mean that one had to go without a proper bath entirely.

The tub Dwalin had managed to bring back to his own rooms with some help was an old one, made of iron. It had cracks in parts, and dents as if something heavy had hit it once. Perfect for use still. There even were buckets of hot water, standing close to the sources of warmth in the bath chamber.

It had been the perfect thing after so long out in the cold, and Nori had kissed Dwalin again for the surprise. She’d not even considered looking for a bathtub, and not one of this size. Nori could easily rest in the hot water, her injured leg carefully resting against the side of the tub so that her bandages would not touch the water, and just relax. She’d never actually _owned_ one big enough to stretch out in, and never had access to one where she’d need to pay for the water and privacy. Not to mention that it had often made her nervous to expose herself so when who knew what kinds of people where around. The idea of somebody who knew her as a man might accidentally catch a glimpse would defeat the purpose of a relaxing bath real quick.

In Erebor, relaxing in the bath chamber of the rooms Dwalin had picked just for himself and for her to use, there was none of that fear there to spoil her mood.

Nori wasn’t sure if she’d dozed for a while, but sooner or later she started to notice how the water was growing a little cooler. Not by much, but she’d had enough by then anyway. She climbed out of the tub carefully, trying not to slip or step on her injured leg. It took some fumbling to manage, the water splashing loudly as she did, even landing on the floor. It wasn’t too bad, given how the bathchamber’s floors were slanted slightly in such a way that any water would reach the small drain holes and not leave puddles around.

“Do you need help?” Dwalin called from outside.

Nori held on to the tub’s edge tight and scoffed.

“I’ll manage,” she called back.

It took some hobbling back and forth to get the towels and then manage to sit on a stool as she dried off. Given than Nori didn’t have anywhere else to be that day she decided not to get dressed properly again, and just put on her smallclothes and a loose shirt. The things she slept in, or what she wore in the warm room when moving did hurt more than her restlessness pushed her to get up. She also took the pins from her hair, and brushed it out to gather it in a simple queue, for comfort and not to have it tangle from the water.

Dwalin was on the bed by the time Nori came out, reading one of the old but not damaged books Ori had found in some private library. He’d seemed interested in it, but Nori couldn’t say that she cared more for them than knowing how excited her little sister got over it.

Nori let herself fall onto the bed without much grace, and cuddled up at Dwalin’s side. It was so warm and cosy in the room, she didn’t even have to pull the blankets up to hide under them. Dwalin put his book aside and wrapped his arm around Nori, letting her scoot even closer.

“How was the view today?” he asked, rubbing his cheek against Nori’s hair.

“Hm lovely. Everything’s snowed in and it’s pretty annoying with my crutch. Also I think that some of the Ravens don’t like me. Wouldn’t even do more than greet and glance at me.”

Dwalin laughed.

“It’s the young ones, they don’t know how to deal with Dwarves yet.”

Nori snorted at that, but accepted that explanation all the same. It wasn’t as if she needed anything from the birds now. Shifting once more she settled against Dwalin as comfortably as she could in her state and made a pleased hum when he wrapped his other arm around her too.

It was comfortable like that, reclining on a warm bed with Dwalin’s hands wandering over her body as he pet her. He took care not to touch anywhere she was injured, his hand stroking over her side and stomach, then slowly moving up to her ribs, thumb just barely brushing the softness of Nori’s breasts.

She watched him as his eyes were on his hand, idly petting her like that. Dwalin seemed just content and lazy right now, enjoying that he could just be in bed with her and not do anything at all outside. Whenever the two of them could just lie still like this, relaxing and resting as the healers would want them to, Dwalin would touch her. Would run his big calloused hands over her skin where he could, feel her lean wiry muscles and the softness of her.

Nori hadn’t paid much attention to it for a while, when she’d been tired and aching too much to register more than the comfort of it, but there definitely was at least a trace of heat in the touches. Sometimes the look on Dwalin’s face as he touched her would be more than just affection, would have hunger in it as his touches grew bolder and he groped her. In those moments Nori really did think he might let his hands wander and seek out a fuck, though Dwalin never indicated it.

She had never wasted a thought on whether she wanted him to or no. it was just a strange awareness of how he _might_ want to sleep with her, but never more. Never anything that actually had an impact on her, as if Nori was strangely detached from her body and the possibility of somebody doing that to her…

Strange, given how much Nori liked to have her fun with other people, get what she could without revealing anything important of herself.

The fire burned cheerfully in the room’s corner, and the pillows and sheets still felt like a luxury to Nori. Her body didn’t even hurt as much, letting her be completely comfortable and relaxed. She watched Dwalin, who hadn’t yet noticed it or didn’t mind, and thought of what she wanted.

Of course she _wanted_ Dwalin. He was a gorgeous and well built Dwarf, rough and big, just as she always had fancied. It was why she’d propositioned him in the first place, even knowing how she’d not get anything out of it but a pleasant fantasy. Nori hadn’t planned to tell Dwalin anything at all, but here he was, knowing who she was so completely, knowing why she’d lied and hidden from him. Now it wouldn’t be impossible to have him.

Nori shifted a little, clenching her legs together as the sudden wave of want washed through her. Dwalin didn’t stop touching her and looking as if he was content with just that, probably thinking she moved to get more comfortable.

It was so weird, how they were together, kissing and Dwalin being so good and gentle and understanding, how they shared this temporary home with the unspoken agreement that Nori would follow Dwalin into a new home instead of moving in with her sisters. How they shared a bed and where nearly fully naked every night as they slept, how Nori had tasted and sucked Dwalin’s _cock_ when they still were on their journey to Erebor, and yet they’d never slept together.

It never took long for Nori to get off with someone she fancied, and who wanted her back as well. But this… they were together after all, and Dwalin so obviously wanted her, given the time he’d gotten off rutting against her and Nori had been tortured by her need to not drop her disguise. He’d told her that he loved her, and she loved him back, they shared a bed… This had never happened before.

Nori had never waited this long with anyone, had never even had a ‘relationship’ lasting even the little time theirs had. She wanted him in general, and right now she wanted him especially.

“Dwalin?” she asked.

“Hm?”

He looked down at her, that content and relaxed smile still on his face. The way he looked at Nori made her heart clench, seeing the warmth and affection in his pale blue eyes…

“Would you sleep with me?” she asked, voice strangely quiet.

Her hand curled around Dwalin’s wrist as she spoke, tugging it to let his hand cover her breast. The feeling of it made her shiver, and Dwalin’s eyes widened a little.

“You mean…” he said, pausing when Nori covered his hand with hers and arched her hips a little.

“Or just… touch me… where you want?”

It was awkward coming from her mouth, so unlike her usual easy ways of seductions. Perhaps because usually the ones she seduced didn’t really know her, and sometimes didn’t know her name even. Never had she tried seducing someone who was half naked in bed with her, already touching her gently.

“You want me to?”

The mixture of disbelief and cautious eagerness in Dwalin’s voice nearly made Nori laugh out. It did take some of the awkwardness off her as she ran her hand up his arm.

“Please.”

Dwalin let out a breath that might have been a growl if it weren’t so soft. He moved to lean over Nori better and kissed her hard. She arched into the touch, let his arm pull her closer and parted her lips for Dwalin to deepen the kiss easily.

They’d kissed before, but never this hard, with Dwalin’s hands roaming over her body with intent, with the promise of much more than a kiss to follow.

“How do you want me to-?” Dwalin asked once they broke apart, his voice already hoarse and his eyes dark.

He’d wanted her, wanted her desperately judging by the intensity of his touch now, and he’d still not even let his hand wander past Nori’s waist yet.

It took Nori a moment to sort out her own thoughts, the way Dwalin was looking at her while kneading her breast not exactly helping.

“I want you inside me,” she said after a while. “Just… just do me.”

Dwalin kissed her again in response, his hands moving under the hem of her shirt. Then he pulled away from her, sitting up with a pained groan to get rid of his own clothes. Nori watched him for a moment, breathless from the kisses and the need to get her hands on him quickly. She took the opportunity to take off her own clothes though, given how slow Dwalin was as he tried not to move or jostle his aching limbs too much.

It was still so strange, and nearly uncomfortable to be so completely naked with somebody who knew who she was, but any such concern evaporated as Dwalin turned back to her, smiling and leaning down to kiss her once more. Nori couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips at the glimpse of Dwalin’s already hardening cock. How she’d _missed_ it. And now she’d get to enjoy it in person too…

Raising her arm to wrap it around Dwalin’s shoulders hurt, the bruises all over her left side protesting the motion, but Nori _needed_ to hold him now.

Dwalin’s hands snaked around her body, pushing her against his chest as he groped at Nori’s arse, kneading it with his rough calloused hands and causing her to moan again.

‘ _Why didn’t we do this earlier?_ ’ Nori thought as she arched her back to rub her body against Dwalin’s better, her feet bracing against the bed for better leverage.

A sharp pang of pain in her leg made her pull away, hissing.

‘ _One of the reasons why..._ ’

Dwalin stilled his movements immediately, watching her in concern.

“Are you alright?”

Nori gritted her teeth as she waited for the pain to ebb away. She nodded, her fingernails still digging into Dwalin’s back.

“My leg… Go on, it was nice.”

Dwalin shifted away though, lying on his side next to Nori instead leaning over her. He was still touching her, with Nori’s side pressed against his front, but it was less contact than Nori had wanted.

“Lets try it like this?” he asked, petting the side of Nori’s face gently and running his fingers over the braids of her beard. “I don’t know how long I can support my weight over you for long anyway.”

Nori pouted for a moment, but when she closed her eyes and just focused on the warmth radiating off Dwalin’s body she found that it was very nice like this as well. Easier to remember not to move in certain ways…

“Let’s,” she agreed, and angled her head up to beg for another kiss. 

This time it went better. Nori didn’t try to push up and into Dwalin’s touch too much, especially when his hand snuck up to fondle her arse again. Nori would have eagerly returned that favour, if Dwalin’s beautiful backside had been a little closer and easier to reach. His back muscles were just as fine under Nori’s exploring hands, and she hummed contently under his ministrations.

Dwalin hesitated once more when his hand moved away from Nori’s arse, and to her front instead, but she merely spread her legs in invitation, heart pounding in her throat.

He took the encouragement for what it was, gently cupping Nori’s sex in his warm hand to rub it against her before spreading her open in slow easy motions. Nori could feel her legs tense up a little, trembling slightly with the unfamiliar touch, but she didn’t not move or angle her hips up. Dwalin’s hands were rough and slow and already had Nori catch her breath even though he wasn’t doing much. He was so much slower than Nori was when she took care of her own needs, still only touching her from the outside when Nori would have been rubbing the heel off her hand against herself furiously already.

Clinging to Dwalin’s shoulders and not moving at all was the only thing Nori could do to keep herself from pulling away or pushing for more. With her eyes fixed at the ceiling so she wouldn’t have to see Dwalin’s face she tried to talk herself into being still. A tiny part of her was insisting that this was stupid and dangerous even, that she shouldn’t be _in bed_ with a warrior and a guard and let him do what he wanted. Those worries evaporated quicker than a drop of water against white hot metal when Dwalin’s thumb found Nori’s gem and carefully rubbed against it.

Nori let out a long strained breath when Dwalin started to play with it. His fingers were as rough as the rest of him, and even that slow stroking was sending pleasant shivers down Nori’s spine. She clung harder, her eyes falling shut as she focused on the pleasure, making it just more intense. Dwalin wasn’t easing off on his touch at all, pushing his thumb against her gem as he circled and rubbed and had her moaning quietly in no time at all.

“Good like this?” he asked against Nori’s ear, as she moaned again.

“Don’t stop,” she insisted, digging her nails into Dwalin’s skin.

He made a noise that was half hum half chuckle and proceeded to do move his thumb back and forth gently.

Nori felt herself relax in his arms, spreading her legs more and trembling less. Warmth filled her and she felt herself grow slicker as Dwalin went on. Occasionally he would let his fingers stroke more than just her gem, having her whine out at the attention each time. When Dwalin’s fingers finally found her entrance and pushed inside slightly Nori nearly sat up in surprise.

“Go on,” she urged before Dwalin could even think to ask if she was fine with it. Her eyes squeezed shut and she rubbed her cheek against Dwalin’s chest, shuddering as he proceeded.

Of course Dwalin’s fingers were so much bigger and more rough than her own, and the feeling of being stretched so gently was driving Nori mad. She gasped when Dwalin slid his fingers in just to pull them back out and then in, repeating the process without giving her much friction apart from lazily rubbing at her gem. 

“Stop- teasing-“ she breathed out in between moans, craving to be filled with more.

Dwalin nuzzled his nose against Nori’s hair, humming quietly. He didn’t remove his fingers, but at least now he was pushing in deeper, a little firmer as well to prepare her. Nori stroked over his belly carefully as he did so, down until her hand wrapped around his hardness. He groaned as she started pumping gently, matching his own lazy pace, but again Dwalin didn’t speed up.

It was nearly funny how unfazed he was by Nori’s gentle stroking, though she knew how he normally reacted. Oh she could hear his breath coming out in harsher huffs, could see how his eyes fluttered shut at the attention, but he wasn’t losing his patience at all. He merely scooted a little closer to her, warm and comfortable skin to skin… Nearly made Nori decide that this was enough like it was, and that she didn’t need to get off if they stayed like this for a while.

Finally Dwalin decided that Nori was relaxed enough and ready to take him in, though she would have done so much earlier anyway. His hand left Nori’s sex to join her own hand where Nori had been stroking his cock. She let out a small whine in protest, but let go of him as she saw how Dwalin would do as she wanted anyway.

Impossibly slow Dwalin brought the head of his cock to Nori’s forge, and without waiting for too much longer he pushed in.

His cock felt so much nicer than his fingers had, and Nori groaned softly, whispering quiet encouragements. Dwalin let go of his cock after a little bit to put his hand on Nori’s hip carefully. His thrusts were barely noticeable, though Nori wondered if Dwalin even could do it harder more comfortably. Her own attempt to meet him halfway put some strain on her aching leg too. Usually preferring rough play wasn’t worth risking ruining the mood through hurt.

“Fine? Is this still good?” Dwalin would ask ever so often, and each time Nori would nod and ask for more.

“More? Like this?” Dwalin teased, and started moving a little in her. He’d finally filled her as much as he could in their positions, and Nori let out a pleased sigh.

“Yes- yes this.”

It was so slow, so unusual. She couldn’t remember ever just lying next to someone and barely moving at all as they fucked. If this even could be described as a fuck.

Nori melted against the furs on the bed, humming in her pleasure. Dwalin’s hand remained on her hip as he moved nice and slow, with too little friction to be more than a _very_ nice sensation. Sometimes his hand wandered over her body, whisper soft and barely touching where her skin was still discoloured in ugly green and purple from her injuries.

Occasionally Dwalin’s hand would move down to play with Nori’s forge where he was fucking her, rubbing at her gem gently or stroking her. She wasn’t paying too much attention to what Dwalin was about to do next, causing Nori to gasp in surprise and then turn her head to hide her face against Dwalin’s neck as she shivered with it. She’d shiver more when Dwalin would chuckle in response, the sound moving clear through her body.

Even the attention Dwalin paid to her gem wasn’t enough to get her off just yet, and the longer they stayed like that the more Nori didn’t mind at all. Where was the rush? They didn’t have to be anywhere, this was their own home, and as temporarily as it was, none would disturb them.

Dwalin never stopped moving his hips as his hand came up to touch more of Nori than before. She stretched into every touch, giving him more skin to play with, encouraging him. No matter how often they cuddled and lay together, it was as if she was starved for the touches every single time.

Her chest seemed to be what Dwalin liked to play with best, paying full attention to it as he cupped them and rubbed at her nipples until they hardened, squeezing and petting at the softness of them.

For some reason Nori suddenly felt the urge to slap his hand away from there, to stop him staring and touching her small chest instead of ignoring it or-

The brief spark of discomfort was gone before she even had the chance to tense, the uncertainty of whether she could allow Dwalin to touch there replayed by the satisfaction of knowing how pleased Dwalin was there. Why would he touch her so gently, so reverently if this somehow was wrong?

Though once it had been… Once Dwalin wasn’t supposed to know her chest even _was_ like this.

Nori turned her head away so she wasn’t hiding it in Dwalin’s beard anymore, instead giving her the opportunity to look around.

It was so warm, so warm and _safe_ and comfortable, and even the occasional spike of ache in her muscles didn’t taint that. Dwalin was holding her close, his hand exploring her side right now, his other carefully thrown across the pillows so Nori’s head was leaning against it slightly.

Glancing down Nori could see where their bodies joined, her leg thrown over his hip carefully, the other tangled with Dwalin’s legs and his cock in her-

It was so strange so utterly strange somehow that Nori had to look away. It’s not like she had never _seen_ it before. Instead she looked up to find Dwalin looking at her through half lidded eyes, looking content and nearly sleepy. And so affectionate.

“Nori,” he breathed her name, before he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

It was enough to make Nori’s breath go away for a moment and have her heart speed up.

Here he was, a warrior, a guard of exactly the kind she wasn’t supposed to be around ever, the kind she was supposed to maybe just flirt bit a little bit and maybe blow in some alley or against a tree because it was fun. He was the kind who could _never_ know her name, where she came from, that she was a _she_ in the first place. Nobody was _ever_ supposed to fuck her in her own home where she felt safe and secure, nobody was supposed to know who she was and see her naked, it was always either or, it wasn’t safe otherwise.

But Dwalin had been there when she’d still been keeping all the secrets she could, had liked her before and after he found out. He’d stayed with her, he’d been there when she was too hurt to walk on her own even as he himself could only hobble along. He’d been there with her as they made a small safe hideout in the cold and broken city, he’d touched and held her so many times. He was fucking her slower and gentler than anyone ever had, as if just being together was the goal, not getting off and going away. He was even saying her _name_ as he looked at her so full of affection. Nobody ever had said her name-

“Aaah,” Nori let out a soft cry, gasping for air as the awareness of her body came back just when Dwalin returned to fondling her nipples.

She didn’t have much sensitivity there, but Dwalin let go as he noticed her reaction.

“Nori?” he asked, his hand moving up to hover by the side of her face.

He was big and solid next to her, a mass of muscle and power looming over her, and Nori just knew that even in his current state all she could do to win a fight against him was to run or play extremely dirty and be clever about it. Strangely enough the awareness of these things just made her feel even more secure than she had before.

Instead of asking him to keep moving Nori raised her arm to wrap around his shoulder as well as she could, her other hand moving up to rest against Dwalin’s chest. She could feel his heartbeat, and he was staring down at her, eyebrows raised slightly as he waited.

“Just… Thank you,” she whispered, her voice shy but at least her skin was already flushed so she wasn’t blushing any harder than before. “This is nice.”

Dwalin let out a soft laugh and ran his fingers through Nori’s hair.

“Glad to be of service,” he teased, and leaned down a little more to kiss her on the lips.

He sped up his thrust pace a little after that, but not too much. Already Nori could see how he was straining to keep the position he was in a little, having to shift ever so often so he wouldn’t put too much weight on anything.

Nori had left her hand against Dwalin’s chest, tugging at his chest hair and feeling his nice solid muscles, but she let her hand drop down to her forge instead. As much as she loved that warm feeling flooding every part of her and the beautiful comfort of it all, she could feel herself slowly tensing up as well.

Her cries grew louder as she rubbed at her gem, feeling Dwalin’s cock slide in and out of her bit by bit as she worked herself up that last bit of the way she needed to get off like that. Nori felt her climax flood over her and she curled up a little as she rode it out, disregarding how sore she was everywhere.

Through the haze of her pleasure Nori was vaguely aware how Dwalin was stroking himself off, pulling out just as he was about to come. His seed spurted over his hand and on Nori’s curls, sticking to their skin. She couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, though she wasn’t sure why. The laugh turned into protest when Dwalin pulled away from her, but he muttered something about cleaning up, and much as she wanted to hold on to him Nori didn’t want to have the seed dry and become uncomfortable after a while.

After Dwalin fetched warm damp cloth for the both of them he lay down with a groan, rubbing at his injured leg. Nori cleaned up herself, and when she noticed how Dwalin was uncomfortable from having gone the short distance to get them she took care of him as well.

He still felt so safe and good even as the waves of her pleasure dimmed into afterglow, so Nori tossed the cloth away from the bed and cuddled up to Dwalin as best as she could.

“That was nice,” she said again, closing her eyes as she snuggled against Dwalin’s arm.

“Nice?” Dwalin chuckled.

“The nicest,” Nori agreed, wrapping her arms around one of Dwalin’s to hold him like that.

It hadn’t been the best fuck she’d ever had, not even close to the more memorable ones actually. But she couldn’t remember feeling so trusting and content, so completely happy staying where she was with somebody who knew her _name_.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Dwalin said sarcastically, but Nori could easily pick out how pleased he sounded anyway.

She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and smiled softly.

“Well… imagine how _nice_ this will be when we’ve got no broken bones or bruises between us.”

Dwalin laughed, and reached over to pet her cheek.

“That’ll take a while, you know?”

He pulled up a blanket to throw over them. The room was warm enough that Nori knew she wouldn’t freeze at all, even if she was naked and a little sweaty, but the weight of it against her skin as a wonderful comfort to add to the situation.

“I know,” she said with a smile.

Once she might have been upset if there was somebody she wanted to sleep with and some injury or other inconvenience prevented it. Nothing was preventing anything now though.

She was the farthest from being upset about any of it. There would still be time to try out all the things she knew she liked, or grow used to not doing it the way she was used to and enjoying it. Perhaps one day soon Nori would even learn how to relax and let that overwhelming feeling of safety take over, instead of constantly remembering her worries. There would be time, but later. 

With a pleased little smile Nori closed her eyes, hid her face against Dwalin’s side, and let herself drift off into sleep.


	8. Considerations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori thinks about herself and disguises and gender is questioned

The first time Dwalin noticed something strange about Nori’s behaviour was an icy day in midwinter. 

He barely remembered the winters around the mountain, though Dwalin knew they were colder than they were in Ered Luin. Harsh winds from the north brought more snow than there usually was in the Blue Mountains, and let it fall sooner and melt later as well.

Inside of Erebor the Dwarves were protected, with springs offering a natural source of heat. Once the great forges where in perfect condition again, their heat could be channelled into the city as well. Even Dale was sheltered by the Lonely Mountain, and one could still fish through the ice to survive the long winter, though Dwalin had never felt comfortable at the idea.

He’d only taken a short walk along the battlements, talking to the guards watching over the valley below. Nobody wanted to be out in the open and out of Erebor’s warmth, where some snow had melted overnight and froze into ice, and the sleet fell thick. Dwalin pulled his coat higher to protect his neck from the cold and squinted against the icy drops hitting his face.

Being able to finally return inside the mountain and make his way back home felt like a blessing. Thankfully the brief trip outside had not left Dwalin with his clothes soaked through, and once he got rid of his boots and the heavy coat he felt much warmer. There would be a fire soon, and a meal and some ale were waiting for him, the first just waiting to be heated up.

Dwalin hadn’t expected for Nori to still be home, knowing that she was to accompany some others to Dale. She had some more experience with Men than those who’s grown up in the Iron Hills, and she already knew some of the people now living in the old city. Being one of the company of heroes and close to the King also meant that Nori would have some authority among other Dwarves as well.

When he walked into the big living room, Nori was still there, standing in front of the mirror with her travel clothes already on. She stood by the big polished copper plate that served them as a temporary mirror, frowning and staring at her slightly distorted reflection. There was nothing different about her in general, except for maybe her braids being slightly simpler than usual in her peaks, and her clothes disguising anything that would make a Man pick up on how she was a woman. Quite common when dealing with the tall folks anyway.

Nori startled when Dwalin stepped into the room fully; another thing that indicated how something was off. Normally Nori heard Dwalin from two rooms over, with the heavy and load steps he never bothered to conceal when he was home.

She glanced up at him, tense for just a moment before Nori’s shoulders slumped again. She smiled, and Dwalin didn’t _think_ that there was any guilt or worry in her eyes, so she must just have been lost in thought.

“Getting ready to brave the cold,” Nori said as she eyed the snow that was still melting in Dwalin’s hair. “I hope we won’t freeze on our way to be found in spring.”

“It’s just unpleasant, don’t think there’ll be enough snow to keep you from finding a warm hearth.”

Nori laughed and picked up the coat that was thrown over the back of their only chair. It was slightly too big for her, making her look like a child nearly. She buttoned it slowly, turned away from Dwalin, but not enough for him to miss how she looked tired somehow. 

“Don’t wait up,” she told Dwalin, and brushed her fingers against his arm before she turned to leave. He caught her hand in his, stopping her.

Nori paused, her eyes turning up to him as she waited, shining like polished gold. It took Dwalin a moment to actually say anything, or even deciding on whether he should say anything in the first place. 

“Is everything alright?” he asked. “You looked worried about something…”

For a moment Nori frowned, and then she laughed and shook her head. 

“It’s nothing at all,” she said and waved off, and though Dwalin knew how good she was at hiding her true thoughts behind fake smiles he let go of her hand. 

“There’s really nothing wrong,” Nori said again, noticing Dwalin’s doubtful expression, and she petted his shoulder in encouragement. 

“That’s fine then,” Dwalin agreed, deciding to let the matter drop. If there was anything wrong, she would tell him surely. And anyone could have a quieter day or less than perfect mood. 

Nori gave him another smile and turned to leave the way he’d entered. 

Dwalin watched her go, only feeling the slightest pang of resentment towards the tasks they both had for the day. After being exposed to the elements and the cold for so long, being where he had both warmth and Nori there would have been a perfect consolation, but now he’d have to wait until late into the night for Nori to come home. Perhaps even until the next morning, if the snow picked up and her group decided to stay in Dale until that got better. Even if it was just some minor annoyance that had left Nori with a frown, she’d soon forget that if there was time to relax and enjoy good food and company inside the mountain. 

At least he had the warmth for now, and if that was interrupted as Dwalin lay in bed and was woken by a cold lithe body snuggling up behind him well after midnight, it really wasn’t the worst that could happen.

*

There were little things Dwalin was noticing about Nori’s behaviour over the next few days. Little instances of her staring off at something with a mildly displeased expression and looking deep in thought as she pondered some problem quietly. 

She would glare at the dresses Dori had tailored for her recently, as if the garments had personally offended her, and she would braid, unravel and rebraid her hair over and over before the mirror without coming to a decision for quite some time. Most of the time Dwalin noticed this Nori would just sit curled up in their armchair and not say a word. 

Dwalin couldn’t figure out what might bother her that much for the life of him. Neither Dori nor Ori seemed to show signs of being moody so Nori’s bad mood wouldn’t step from family tiffs, and trade agreements she was involved in didn’t seem to go too badly either. For all Dwalin knew there was something new on Nori’s mind every time. 

Each time Dwalin asked if Nori needed anything or wanted to talk, she would wave him off again, and Dwalin wouldn’t push the matter. Each time he tried to distract her with affection or anything else Nori would cheer up instantly and forget all about whatever had been on her mind. 

It just made Dwalin wonder more. There was something that seemed to worry Nori a great deal, but it couldn’t be truly important if Nori could put thoughts of it aside so easily. He’d never been good at figuring out what issues those close to him had unless it was something he witnessed. 

Dwalin didn’t expect her to tell him at all. He had his own minor annoyances and daily problems that Nori didn’t need to know every detail of, and thieves were always guarding their secrets viciously. If this was important, he trusted Nori to tell him eventually.

The closest Nori came to saying anything at all was one evening, when Dwalin returned from a meeting in the main throne room, speaking with his guards as they tried to determine how to best keep it secure once it was put back in use. He hadn’t expected to find Nori at home, as there was no light burning anywhere in their home, and he could hear no noise. Upon entering their bedroom to put away his gear he found the thief though, sitting on the bed in complete darkness up until Dwalin entered with a small lamp.

That wasn’t _too_ unusual, though Dwalin paused for a moment to take her in. Nori looked as if she was pondering something again, wearing only her undershirt and the little vest Dori had repaired for her for when she had to go deal with the Men of Dale. Nori grunted a greeting, and Dwalin replied with the same as he went towards the closet to take off the outer layers of his clothes.

“Rough day outside the mountain?” he asked as he unbuttoned his leather jerkin and Nori just made a noncommittal shrug. 

Dwalin threw looks towards the bed as he dressed down to his underpants and tunic. There was a harsh line on Nori’s brow as she frowned, staring at her knees. One he saw her open her mouth, taking a breath as if she wanted to say something, but then reconsidering again. 

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, reaching towards Nori. Her shoulder was cool, which meant that she must have sat there for quite a while like that.

“Do you need anything?” Dwalin asked, trying to think of something he could offer.

Nori looked up at the touch, her eyes searching Dwalin’s face for a moment before she grinned wickedly.

“There’s many things I need, but you’ll do for now.”

She slid into Dwalin’s lap in an instant, her arms wrapping around his neck as she leaned in for a biting kiss. Dwalin’s hands gripped her waist hard, and he was only too happy to help her with that particular need.

Nori was all hard touches and sharp kisses, her nails biting into Dwalin’s skin as she pushed him to take off his clothes quicker. Dwalin’s hands gripped her hard enough to bruise and Nori only encouraged it in the few moments between kisses when Dwalin could breathlessly ask her for what she wanted specifically.

She pushed him back into the pillows, sitting on him astride as she ground down, rubbing their bodies together, touching and groping and feeling every inch of each other’s skin. Nori only slowed a little when Dwalin bit her throat and marked her collarbones with his teeth, pleased at how the bite-marks stood out against her flushed and freckled skin. He carefully pulled her constraining vest over Nori’s head with some wriggling on her side, to better reach her chest.

For a while Nori stilled above him, arms braced next to Dwalin’s head as she moaned at the attention he gave her breasts, biting and sucking gentler than he’d done for her throat, leaving her shivering and gasping. It was always pleasing to Dwalin to see how easily he could pleasure Nori, how well he knew what she liked without her having to direct him too much.

Their touches lost some of their finesse when Nori pulled away to give Dwalin room to take of his pants as well. They were lost in each other and their pleasure, and Nori could only moan when Dwalin’s hand found his way to her sex, her hands digging into Dwalin’s shoulders.

It was late enough that neither felt like getting up anymore after. Both just curled up together and Dwalin pulled the blankets up to cover Nori. She looked completely content and snuggled up to him as soon as he’d kicked off any clothes that still remained on the bed.

“Is everything alright with you?” Dwalin asked after a few moments of lying still and stroking her arm gently. He didn’t want to remind her of whatever had bothered her in the first place, but he could not leave her on her own if there was _anything_ he could do.

Nori thought for a moment, but she did not seem upset by it being brought up again either.

“I’ve just been thinking about things…” she said slowly, eyes fixed on Dwalin’s chest.

He pulled Nori closer and rubbed his cheek against her hair.

“Is there anything you need…?”

“No… I’ll tell you if I need anything. Promise.”

Dwalin kissed her forehead quietly and nodded. He wouldn’t push her for answers, and surely she would trust him with anything important if she felt it was for him to know.

For now he didn’t want to think of anything anyway, too sated and happy curled up in bed with Nori in his arms.

*

A blizzard had blocked the road between Erebor and Dale, leaving quite a few Dwarves (and Men most likely as well) cursing and working hard to get the snow out of the way to transport goods and people back and forth again. The snow was still falling thick, and it had left Dwalin with nothing to do.

He’d meant to go to the city of Men that day, spend most of it there even, and in the end Dwalin had just returned home after helping out with the snow clearing effort.

Dwalin slept lightly that night, the day having left him not tired at all. It was warm as ever in their home, something Dwalin just kept marvelling over no matter how many months passed. Usually he’d be travelling at one point or another, spending nights outside on a hunt or sleeping in buildings that just weren’t _as_ warm because there was no time to prepare a nice fire to do more than quickly cook a meal.

There was no need to try and force sleep after he woke to a dark room in the middle of the night, as there wouldn’t be too much to do the next day either, if the road was still blocked, and it was comfortable just lying awake in bed. He didn’t notice Nori was awake until she shifted next to him and Dwalin saw her eyes shine in the darkness.

She looked up at him, quiet and unmoving, and Dwalin was still too caught up in a half asleep state to notice how serious she looked.

“Can I ask you for something?” Nori asked, her voice quiet, even in the silence of their room.

“Hmm,” Dwalin hummed in agreement, as Nori’s hand emerged from underneath the blankets to hold his for a moment. There was little he wouldn’t do if Nori asked seriously.

“Could you…” she paused, thinking. The shimmer of her eyes disappeared for a moment as she looked away. Nori seemed so small somehow, curling up tighter in the blankets and Dwalin waited for her to go on. He could feel himself coming more awake by the moment.

“Could you treat me as a man, sometimes, when I ask you for it? In everything, like you didn’t know anything else,” Nori finally whispered, the words coming out in a quick rush.

Dwalin raised his eyebrows and shifted for a better look at Nori’s face, hidden in the shadows.

“As a man? What do you mean?”

“Just what I said,” Nori said and her shoulders drew up. She was averting her eyes now.

Dwalin waited for her to say more, but nothing more came.

“I can do that,” he said slowly, thinking about what Nori meant. “Is there a reason for that?”

No reply came for a while, and Dwalin nearly thought that none would come.

“Because I think I am… A man I mean. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I thought it was just me missing my disguise. But it’s not that. It feels right, and it sometimes like the disguise was more truth than lie. I just _am_ a man when I feel like this.”

Nori’s eyes were on Dwalin again, and she looked worried.

“Could you do that? Treat me like a man? Love me if I’m not… this?”

Dwalin had been frowning slightly as he tried to take in every word Nori told him, but he heard the insecurity in Nori’s voice. He reached out to find her hand under the blankets. He wouldn’t stand for Nori doubting his affections for even just a moment. Not over something like this.

“I already loved you when I didn’t know you were disguising yourself, and I wrapped my head around that idea. I’m sure I can do it again.”

There was a sound like Nori tried to choke back a laugh, and her hand wrapped around Dwalin’s fingers in turn.

“I just don’t quite understand…” Dwalin said, hoping he wouldn’t make her think he would ignore her request. “Do you want to live as if you’ve always been a man and nothing else? I will do what you want, whatever it is.”

“No it’s not that. I think I feel… I’m both, sometimes. One some days I am like this, just a woman who’s not exactly a proper lady. Some other days I’m as you met me. And it’s no disguise. I’m just me.”

She paused for a moment.

“Just don’t tell Dori, please. She’ll blame herself for this, and she’ll think she did something wrong to make me unsure. I’m not unsure though. Well, I am, but just because I have to get used to what I feel and I don’t know how to explain.”

Nori was getting slightly frantic, so Dwalin pulled her against his chest.

“I won’t,” he promised.

“Good.”

They lay quietly for a while, until Dwalin spoke again.

“Do you want me to start now? With treating you as a man?”

“No… no right now I don’t feel like I’d want that. Tomorrow maybe. Start tomorrow, or when I ask you?”

“I can do that,” Dwalin promised again, and Nori shifted closer to rest her face against his chest.

He wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer still, and nearly missed her whispered thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to do this one for a while


End file.
